Description:
This image showcases NGC 2170, a reflection nebula located in the constellation Monoceros.
NGC 2170 appears primarily in soft blues and whites, a colour palette resulting from the reflection and scattering of starlight off the nebula’s dust particles. The scattered light primarily originates from nearby young stars, illuminating the nebula and giving it a ghostly appearance.
The nebula is also characterised by dark dust lanes and filaments, indicative of dense regions of molecular clouds. These areas, rich in gas and dust, are the birthplaces of new stars and thus mark NGC 2170 as an active star-forming region.
